My Journey to Hijab

Sama Hayat (Pakistan)

Assalamu Alaikum, for me, it all started with a fear; fear of Allah only. I was born to a moderate Muslim family. Right from my early childhood years, I have been very much into prayers and the reading of the holy Quran, however, I never considered hijab as a serious matter. I have lived in Saudi Arabia most of my life. There, we used to take proper abbaya, but that was just the obligatory. I didn’t accept it by heart because in my family ‘abbaya’ and ‘hijab’ are discouraged for the sake of “modernism”. The feeling of covering and dressing myself properly has always been in my mind and heart only that I was lacking the inspiration until when I was in Standard 9 that I met a teacher was very decent and modest. I got very much inspired by her because she did not only talk about Islam but practically applied it. From her motivating lectures I got a drive, drive to do what I really wanted to. I decided then and there that I won’t slide back—I started doing hijab properly, and as obvious, my journey through street taunts and curious stares started. Having been born and brought up in Muslim family, I faced many obstacles. In social functions like weddings ceremonies, people would ask me not to wear hijab. They said that it’s just a wave, a phase which would pass by, and I would not be able to don the hijab for all my life. Some said I would not get a good proposal for marriage and the list of doom prophecy went on. Due to my trust and faith in Allah I become a strong. My confidence level soured and it’s been 9 years since I begun the hijab with all zeal and zest. Interestingly, my mother-in-law also takes hijab. My would-be husband inspires me to stick to my gun and cover up my body to maintain modesty.